High explosive cartridge

ABSTRACT

A PROCESS FOR THE LOW PRESSURE DEPOSITION OF HIGH EXPLOSIVE CHARGES IN SPECIFIC CONFIGURATIONS UNDER ACTUAL WARFARE CONDITIONS IN THE FIELD.

United States Patent Oflice 3,618,448 Patented Nov. 9, 1971 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for the low pressure deposition of high explosive charges in specific configurations under actual warfare conditions in the field.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved low pressure process for the deposition of a wide variety of high explosive charges under actual field conditions, without, in time of Warfare, requiring the use of normal high explosive loading tools and equipment.

It has been the aim of the explosive industry to make available explosive devices which are simple, safe and low in cost. Explosive devices are used to cut, dig, break and project. In the past, before World War II, the requirements for explosive devices became highly specific. These devices, however, required specific shapes and sizes, which were not readily available.

In the prior art, the outer inert shape or housing of explosive articles could be readily fabricated, but the explosive content could not readily be loaded outside of explosive loading plants. Plastic explosives made from mixtures of high explosives, liquids and plasticers were developed during World War II- to fill this need. These plastic explosives were toxic to some degree and were difiicult to use. Manual handling resulted in contamination of the explosive. In critical applications requiring precision use, this in turn resulted in poor performance in the field. In addition, the plastic explosives could not readily be used in small item applications because of their relatively high viscosity. In the high explosive loading plant it has been possible to extrude such plastic explosives under relatively high pressures to form cords and sheets. The latter, however, involves costly loading plant operations, requiring trained personnel, and is not entirely satisfactory for use in the field. The present invention avoids the disadvantages of the prior art process by providing a new and improved process for the deposition of high explosive charges in the field, which process does not require high pressures or physical contact with the explosive, which eliminates toxicity and contamination problems and which is simple, of low cost, and readily usable by untrained personnel in the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The process involves compounding high explosives into extrudable slurries, which meet the desired characteristics for the applications involved, filling containers from which the slurries are to be extruded, orienting the container for depositing a predetermined quantity and shape of explosive and extruding the explosive by the application of low pressure.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The equipment used for depositing the explosive charges can vary considerably. It can be a tube similar to a toothpaste or shaving cream tube which contains the high explosive. Extruding pressure is by hand pressure. In an alternate arrangement, the equipment is in the shape of a conventional caulking cartridge, which contains the high explosive. Extruding pressure is provided by the caulking gun into which the cartridge is placed. In still another arrangement, the equipment is in the shape of a conventional caulking gun, where the extruding pressure is provided by air pressure.

Explosive compositions usable in this process are exemplified in the following table, suitable for a wide variety of applications in the field.

EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITIONS II .Explosive Nitrocellulose lacquer IIA Exploslve Hardening polymers Volatile vehicle III .Explosive Elastomeric polymers IV ..Expl0sive Plasticizer and stabilizer 5 Bulking agent Volative vehicle plosive *Explosives: Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, pentaerytli ritol tetranitrate, nitroglycerine/ammonium nitrate; Volatile vehicles: Aliphatic hydrocarbons, fluorinated and chlorinated low molecular aliphatic hydrocarbons; Non-hardening polymers: Butyl, acrylic, polybutene asphalt and bituminous: Hardening polymers: Oleo resin, nitrocellulose lacquer; Elastomeric polymers: Polysulfide, polyurethane, silicone, acrylic: Plasticizers: Mononitrotoluene, dinitrotoluene, nitrocellulose, polyisobutylene; Stabilizers: Diphenylamine, antiacids.

All of the above type high explosives have a consistency reading classified in accordance with numbers of the National Lubricating Grease Institute ranging from to 340 at a temperature of 25 C. The viscosity of the above type explosives ranges from 1000 to 30,000 Saybolt Seconds at 25 C.

In the practice of the process of this invention, the step of loading the compounded high explosive into the desired container or cartridge, can be conducted just before use or at a much earlier time. The cartridge is provided with the desired extrusion force, namely hand pressuure, mechanical (caulking gun) pressure or gas pressure. The proper extrusion tip is oriented relative to the item into or onto which the explosive is to be extruded, and the explosive is extruded in the quantity or length desired.

The practice of the process of the present invention involves a number of steps, namely: (1) Compounding of the explosives so that they can be extruded by hand pressure, low mechanical or gas pressure, and is capable of functioning as an explosive after extrusion. (2) The explosive is hand or machine loaded into the desired container or cartridge. (3) The extrusion end is oriented into the proper position relative to the item into or onto which the explosive is to be extruded. (4) The cartridge is provided with the extrusion force which may be manual, mechanical or air pressure. (5) The desired quantity and shape of explosive is thereby extruded.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there is provided a new and improved process for use by the military in the field to deposit high explosive extrudable charges in any desired configuration or shape. The explosive charges can be compounded to remain wet, dry to a rigid mass or dry to a flexible mass or can be compounded so that they cannot be exploded. It is to be understood that the process described is to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various changes in the process or in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts and modifications in the explosive compositions may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims. For example, it is possible to load cartridges with a two-part chemical reacting plastic, explosive mixture just before use.

I claim:

1. In combination, a normally sealed container which can be carried by hand and containing a high explosive composition, said composition being in a form extrudable from the container by hand pressure and comprising,

(a) at least 40% of a high explosive selected from the group of cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, pentaerythritol tetranitrate and nitroglycerine/ ammonium nitrate,

(b) a maximum of 20% solids selected from the group of polybutyls, polyacrylics, polybutenes, polysulfides, polyurethanes, nitrocellulose, antiacids, diphenylamine and bulking agents, and

(c) a maximum of 40% of a liquid selected from the group of mononitrotoluene, dinitrotoluene, aliphatic hydrocarbons, fluorinated hydrocarbons and chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons.

2. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the container is a flexible tube.

3. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the container is a conventional caulking cartridge.

4. Theinvention as recited in claim 1, wherein the.

explosive composition after extrusion from the container remains of a putty-like consistency.

5. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the explosive composition after extrusion from the container converts into a rigid, non-flexible solid.

6. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the explosive composition after extrusion from the container converts into a soft, flexible solid.

7. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the explosive compositions containing larger percentages of the volatile liquids are incapable of being detonated with a blasting cap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,892,377 6/1959 Davidson 10*224' X 2,992,087 7/ 1961 Fassnacht et al. 102-27 UX 2,993,236 7/1961 Brimley et al. 86-1 X 2,668,986 2/ 1954 Miler 86-205 UX 3,258,917 7/ 1966 Sargent et al. 35.6 RS UX 3,354,771 11/1967 Stark 86-21 X 3,380,333 4/1968 Clay et al. 86-20.3

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner J. J. DEVITT, Assistant Examiner I Us. 01. X.R. 102-23; 264-3 

